Just wanted to rely my experiences with BP. When I was 17 years old I had it for only about a month with a full recovery.
Flash forward 30 years and I have it a second time but with much more severe symptoms. I had neck pain the night before as I recall. Symptoms progressed over a full week eventhough most sources indicate that symptoms don't get worse after the first couple of days. Was put on Prednisone for a week but once that ran out I was left with two weeks of severe pain on that side of my face. Neurotonin did not help with the pain but after 2 weeks the pain subsided on its own except for the pain directly under my ear which went away after a couple of months. I had the usual inability to taste on the affected side and sound sensitivity but the taste came back after 1 week. After a full month I began to have an irritating sound in my ear that I can only explain as being a muffled jackhammer. I noticed that if I hold my jaw open slightly the noise goes away. My eye is my worse complaint as it gets so dry despite eye drops and nightly taping. I didn't get any movement in my face until almost 4 months and it is only a slight smile and nothing else. Lyme test was negative. My sister, who is an RN, states that alot of the elderly people that get BP never get rid of it so I guess the younger you are the better your chances are of a full recovery. I expect that I will be fully recovered after 8-9 months.

Yes, they checked my ears very thoroghly but didn't find the typical Ramsey Hunt lesions in my ear. Also, I didn't get the Ramsey Hunt rash. I was tested for Lyme disease because that can cause Bell's Palsey and I was given a CT scan because I was in so much pain in the beginning. I think as people get older the symptoms are worse and last longer. My sister, who is an Rn, says a lot of the elderly never get rid of it so age must be a factor in recovery.